Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

The Canon EOS 4000D and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX800 (labelled Panasonic GX850 in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively,
in February 2018 and January 2017. The 4000D is a DSLR, while the GX800 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an APS-C (4000D) and a Four Thirds (GX800) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 15.8 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their sensors, their features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 4000D and the Panasonic GX800 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The GX800 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, red), while the 4000D is
only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic GX800 is considerably smaller (47 percent) than the Canon 4000D. Moreover, the GX800 is substantially lighter (38 percent) than the 4000D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 4000D nor the GX800 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist.
You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (4000D) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (GX800). Mirrorless cameras, such as the GX800, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 4000D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 27 percent) than the GX800, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 4000D features an APS-C sensor and the Panasonic GX800
a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the GX800 is 32 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 2.0. The sensor in the 4000D has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the GX800 offers a 4:3 aspect.

With 17.9MP, the 4000D offers a higher
resolution than the GX800 (15.8MP), but the 4000D nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of
4.31μm versus 3.77μm for the GX800) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the 4000D is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 1 month) than the GX800, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the GX800 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Canon EOS 4000D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX800 are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600..

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under consideration, the GX800 has a markedly higher DXO score than the 4000D (overall score 10 points higher), which will translate into better image quality. The advantage is based on 1.3 bits higher color depth, 1.9 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.2 stops of reduced low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Canon 4000D»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.9

11.4

695

63

Canon 4000D

Panasonic GX800«

Four Thirds

15.8

4592

3448

4K/30p

23.2

13.3

586

73

Panasonic GX800

Canon 2000D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/30p

22.6

11.9

1009

71

Canon 2000D

Canon 200D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

23.6

13.4

1041

79

Canon 200D

Canon G9 X Mark II«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

21.9

12.5

522

65

Canon G9 X Mark II

Canon 1300D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

-

-

-

-

Canon 1300D

Canon M10«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.2

11.4

753

65

Canon M10

Canon 1200D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.9

11.3

724

63

Canon 1200D

Canon 100D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.8

11.3

843

63

Canon 100D

Canon 700D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.7

11.2

681

61

Canon 700D

Canon 1100D«»

APS-C

12.2

4272

2848

720/30p

21.9

11.0

755

62

Canon 1100D

Canon 550D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.1

11.5

784

66

Canon 550D

Canon 500D«»

APS-C

15.1

4752

3168

1080/20p

21.7

11.5

663

63

Canon 500D

Panasonic GF7«»

Four Thirds

15.8

4592

3448

1080/60p

-

-

-

-

Panasonic GF7

Panasonic G6«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/60p

21.3

11.5

639

61

Panasonic G6

Panasonic GF6«»

Four Thirds

15.8

4592

3448

1080/60i

20.7

10.6

622

54

Panasonic GF6

Panasonic GF5«»

Four Thirds

12.0

4000

3000

1080/60i

21.4

11.6

618

61

Panasonic GF5

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the GX800 provides a better video resolution than the 4000D. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 4000D has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight.
In contrast, the GX800 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 4000D and Panasonic GX800 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Shutter speed (1/sec)

Shutter flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Canon 4000D»

optical

n

2.7

230

fixed

n

4000

3.0

Y

n

Canon 4000D

Panasonic GX800«

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

500

10.0

Y

n

Panasonic GX800

Canon 2000D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

4000

3.0

Y

n

Canon 2000D

Canon 200D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

4000

5.0

Y

n

Canon 200D

Canon G9 X Mark II«»

-

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

2000

8.2

Y

Y

Canon G9 X Mark II

Canon 1300D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

4000

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1300D

Canon M10«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

4000

4.6

Y

n

Canon M10

Canon 1200D«»

optical

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

4000

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1200D

Canon 100D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

4000

4.9

Y

n

Canon 100D

Canon 700D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

4000

5.0

Y

n

Canon 700D

Canon 1100D«»

optical

n

2.7

230

fixed

n

4000

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1100D

Canon 550D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

fixed

n

4000

3.7

Y

n

Canon 550D

Canon 500D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

4000

3.4

Y

n

Canon 500D

Panasonic GF7«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

500

5.8

Y

n

Panasonic GF7

Panasonic G6«»

1440

n

3.0

1036

swivel

Y

4000

7.0

Y

n

Panasonic G6

Panasonic GF6«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

4000

4.2

Y

n

Panasonic GF6

Panasonic GF5«»

-

n

3.0

920

fixed

Y

4000

4.0

Y

n

Panasonic GF5

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The GX800
has a touchscreen, while the 4000D has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example,
for setting the focus point.

The GX800 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the 4000D does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed and shutter burst refer to the use of the mechanical shutter. In addition, the GX800 features
an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 4000D and the GX800 write their files to SDXC cards. The GX800 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while 4000D cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison: Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 4000D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX800 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Canon 4000D»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 4000D

Panasonic GX800«

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Panasonic GX800

Canon 2000D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 2000D

Canon 200D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon 200D

Canon G9 X Mark II«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon G9 X Mark II

Canon 1300D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 1300D

Canon M10«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon M10

Canon 1200D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1200D

Canon 100D«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 100D

Canon 700D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 700D

Canon 1100D«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1100D

Canon 550D«»

Y

stereo

-

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 550D

Canon 500D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 500D

Panasonic GF7«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GF7

Panasonic G6«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic G6

Panasonic GF6«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GF6

Panasonic GF5«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic GF5

It is notable that the 4000D has a hotshoe, while the GX800 does not. This socket makes it possible to easily
attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun.

Both the 4000D and the GX800 are recent models that feature in their makers' current product line-up. The GX800 replaced the earlier Panasonic GF7, while the 4000D does not have a direct predecessor. Further information on the two cameras, as well as related accessories, can be found on the
Canon and Panasonic websites.

Review summary: Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Canon 4000D better than the Panasonic GX800 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.

More compact: Is smaller (107x65mm vs 129x102mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.

Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 167g or 38 percent) and is thus easier to take along.

More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.

Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in January 2017).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the GX800 is the clear winner of the contest (17 : 9 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

4000D 09:17 GX800

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 4000D or the GX800. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews: Canon 4000D vs Panasonic GX800

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

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